Israel’s First Cyber Security Incubator Established at BGU
Israel’s First Cyber Security Incubator Established at BGU
November 28, 2012
Homeland & Cyber Security, Negev Development & Community Programs, Press Releases, Robotics & High-Tech
BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, November 28, 2012 – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and its technology transfer company, BGN Technologies, will create Israel’s first ever cyber security incubator in Beer-Sheva under the Israeli Office of the Chief Scientist Incubator Program. The incubator program will be established in partnership with Israeli venture capital firm Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP).
“The exciting initiative is taking place in the wake of rising cyber threats, as well as increasing attacks on critical infrastructure in Israel and around the world,” says Doron Krakow, executive vice president, American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
“BGU is one of the leaders in academic applied research in cyber security, which is a critical component of our Homeland Security Institute.”
The incubator will be located in the new Advanced Technologies Park, adjacent to both the University and the new technology campus of the Israel Defense Forces Telecommunications Division. The incubator is expected to begin operations as early as the beginning of 2013.
JVP will select a number of start-ups each year within the cyber security and enterprise software arenas to join the incubator. Once established, the program will also include a second incubator for community-based social initiatives and a cultural arm.
Israel has been named one of the top three world leaders in the field of cyber security. Approximately 25 Israeli information security firms have been acquired by multinational organizations, and Israeli companies are counted among the world’s leading IT security providers.
“High-tech is the engine of the Israeli economy, and it’s important that we bring it to areas and population groups throughout the country,” said JVP Founder and Chairman Erel Margalit.
“Israel’s leadership in the area of cyber security is a strategic asset for the country, and we can leverage it not only for security purposes, but also economically and socially. Establishing the Beer-Sheva incubator alongside a social incubator and other cultural hotspots can create cultural and social change along with a thousand new jobs.”
JVP’s Yoav Tzruya, who will be heading the cyber security incubator, says that “Our vision is to turn Beer-Sheva into a center of innovation and creativity in the field of high-tech, and a leader in the field of cyber security.”
About JVP
JVP, established in 1993, manages eight venture capital funds with over $900 million under management having created and supported over 90 companies over the past 19 years. The fund has led 24 prominent exits, the most recent being the sale of storage innovator XtremIO to EMC in May this year and encryption to the cloud company Navajo Systems to Salesforce.com last August. JVP’s exits are amongst the largest in Israel’s high-tech industry. JVP has long focused many of its investments in the area of cyber security and enterprise software, the most prominent in this space today being cyber security company Cyber-Ark, which has over 1,100 customers worldwide being installed in eight of the world’s top 10 banks.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
For all press inquiries, please contact:
James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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